U.S. Geological Survey Manual

370.400.1 – USGS Employee Survey Program

10/01/02

OPR: Personnel Office

1. Purpose. Appendix A sets forth the policy for conducting
surveys in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

2. Background. The Employee Survey Program evolved from the
increasing use of and need for surveying USGS employees. This program plan creates
a framework and sets guidelines for planning and conducting employee surveys
as well as developing follow up actions based on feedback received. The importance
being that we make the most of our employees’ time and we have a strategic
and professional approach to surveying.

3. Responsibilities. All USGS offices must adhere to this
policy when conducting surveys. Those conducting surveys must submit a survey
plan as described in Appendix A.

4. Effective Date. This policy became effective February 1,
2002, and remains in effect until superseded.

Appendix A
Part 370, Chapter 400.1

THE USGS EMPLOYEE SURVEY PROGRAM

The USGS is committed to taking a consistent and integrative approach to surveying
of employees. In order to provide guidance on employee survey activities and
to ensure that sound survey practices are applied, USGS has established the
position of Employee Survey Program Manager within Headquarters Human Resources.

Guiding Principles for Employee Surveys

Employee surveys require an understanding of the special considerations involved
in this type of information-gathering method. The following principles have
been identified to help ensure that all USGS employee surveys are conducted
in ways that will yield the maximum return on the survey investment, and that
will continue to earn the trust and confidence of USGS employees.

The Bureau’s use of employee surveys should be integrated and additive

There must be accountability for follow-up communications & action
planning for all employee surveys

Demands on the time of managers and employees for survey purposes must
be anticipated and managed

When designing surveys, consideration should be given to using items that
allow for important benchmarking (e.g., within DOI) or assessing trends from
earlier surveys

Employee surveys should be easy to access, administer and report

Employee anonymity will be protected

There will be “zero tolerance” for seeking retribution against
those who have provided feedback.

Survey items and key findings will be shared and accessible to others who
may make use of them to address relevant information needs, or as a resource
for survey items

Implementing an employee survey initiates a dialogue with employees on issues
of importance to them and to the Bureau. Employees will have a reasonable expectation
for follow-up and follow-through. Therefore, surveying employees must be done
in a context of trust, and with a commitment to using the results for important
strategic or operational management purposes. Employees must be told the purpose
for surveying, how their input will be used, and a time-frame for reporting
of results and for taking any necessary follow-up action. In addition, changes
or decisions made, or actions taken, as a result of survey input from employees
must also be communicated to them. Such communications serve to “close
the loop” with employees on important issues that have been raised and
addressed, build trust in management, and establish a solid foundation for future
survey-based assessments.

The Employee Survey Program Manager (ESPM)

The Employee Survey Program Manager is responsible for providing oversight
for the Bureau’s survey program, including all employee surveys. Responsibilities
include leading the design team for the Bureau-wide Organization Assessment
Survey and facilitating integrated planning efforts for other large-scale employee
surveys. Additional responsibilities include providing guidance on survey design
and administration issues, ensuring that follow-up action planning activities
are anticipated and implemented, and ensuring coordination of survey administrations
in ways that minimize demand on managers and employees.

The ESPM will coordinate employee survey plans and provide limited consulting
support to survey planners. The ESPM will help ensure that no individual managers
or employees are over-burdened by survey requests or involvement in survey follow-up
activities, and that standards for ensuring employee anonymity are maintained.

Survey Planning Expectations

The above guidelines apply to anyone who is planning or considering conducting
an employee survey within USGS. The first step in doing an employee survey is
to develop a survey plan to document and guide your efforts. Figure 1 outlines
a 5-phase approach to conducting employee surveys that might be of help to you
in thinking though your survey plan. Your survey plan should identify the survey
sponsor, survey purpose, target sample(s), key topics, intended use of results,
reporting requirements / break-outs, and follow-up communications and action
plans stating how the results will be reported back to employees, how employees
will be get informed of the actions that are taken as a result of the information
they provide, and what types of decisions or actions the information is to be
used for.

Once you have a preliminary survey plan, you should review your plan with the
Employee Survey Program Manager. The ESPM will help to ensure that your survey
plan is consistent with the Bureau’s survey guidelines and standards,
and that the purpose and focus of your survey are clear. In is also the responsibility
of the ESPM to ensure that your survey is integrated in content and timing with
other surveys that are being planned or have already been conducted. In some
cases, external consulting support may be needed to assist you with survey design,
administration, reporting and/or follow-up action planning.

Program Planning and Review

USGS recognizes the need to evaluate the benefits and impact of the employee
survey program and to learn from its experience with implementing it. Therefore,
each survey implemented under this program will be evaluated to assess the return
on investment of resources. The ESPM will develop a thorough program planning
and review process that will assure that the Bureau achieves the right burden-benefit
balance in its survey program.